New GoPro Lineup Appeals to Daredevils and Daytrippers

In the market for an action camera? GoPro has some new options ranging from $500 to just $129.

The company on Monday unveiled the Hero4, its highest-performance camera line ever. The Hero4 comes in two editions: the cream-of-the-crop Black version for $500 and a $400 Silver model, both of which will be available Oct. 5.

The Black edition delivers two times the performance of its predecessor, the two year-old Hero3. It can capture "cinema quality" 4K video at 30 frames per second, 2.7K video at 50fps, and 1080p video at 120fps, "virtually eliminating rolling shutter in most scenarios while allowing for time-bending slow motion effects." The Black Hero4 also features a new audio system that captures high-fidelity sound with twice the dynamic range of previous models.

Other enhancements include improved image quality, low-light performance, highlight moment tagging, and an improved user interface that offers easier access to key features and controls.

Hero4 silverThe silver model (right) features the same image quality as the black version, minus some of the higher performance video capture modes such as 4K30, 2.7K50, and 1080p120. It has a new built-in touch display for easier self-capture.

Meanwhile, if both of those models are a little too expensive, the company also on Monday debuted the Hero for $129. Described as the "perfect entry-level GoPro," the Hero features a rugged, waterproof housing and is capable of capturing 1080p video at 30fps and 720p video at 60fps.

"For the past 12 years, our passion has been to make it easy for people to self-capture jaw dropping, professional quality footage of themselves engaged in their favorite activities," GoPro founder and CEO, Nicholas Woodman, said in a statement. "That passion led us to embark on our most ambitious design and engineering effort ever, and the result is nothing short of the ultimate GoPro — the Hero4 Black. We can't wait to see what the world captures with it."

For more on the Hero4, check out the video below. Also see PCMag's full review of the Hero3 White Edition and 15 Crazy GoPro Stunt Videos You Must Watch.